chain....chain....chain.....

[adrian jones]

Probably been debated to death, however, how long do you usually get from a chain???

I have owned 2 dozen bikes over the past 28 years and have yet to replace a chain.  (just luck I guess)

Obviously I don't keep a bike long, but most all have been purchased used.

However now that i have a Tiger, and can't think of owning another....

How long should a chain that is checked and lubed a few times a month. Cleaned and lubed twice a year (all pavement here).

13,000 miles on the odo.

[Stretch]

With the bike on the centerstand and the engine off, turn the rear wheel while checking the chain tension.  There shouldn't be excessively loose spots.  Periodic loosening and tightening of the chain while the rear wheel is turning indicates areas of the chain that are more worn than others, usually where the pins meet the inner links.  

Good chains don't stretch much these days, but a worn-out chain will be a little longer than a new one due to pin and inner link wear.  As the pins wear down, and the pin holes in the inner links get wallowed-out, there is more free-play within the inner workings of the chain.  Over the course of 114 links, it adds up...



If your chain doesn't have any loose spots, see if you can lift more than two links from the rear sprocket.  This indicates sprocket and roller wear, as well as lengthening due to pin wear mentioned earlier.

With all this said, I got 20,000 miles out of my original chain, but I should have replaced it 3-4 thousand miles earlier.  It was in pretty bad shape.

Replace the sprockets also, as they wear to fit the lengthened worn chain.

To add...  You sometimes hear people talk about a 'tight spot' in their chain.  Nah.  Chains don't contract and shorten as they wear.  What happened was that the chain was adjusted in a loose (worn) area, so that when the sprockets turned, the loose spot was taken up and the chain and sprockets tried to bind up when the unworn area of chain came around on the sprockets.  Very, very bad for the countershaft bearings.

When adjusting a chain, the tension should be checked while the wheel is slowly turned by hand, and the chain adjusted to the proper tension when it is in its "tightest" spot.

[Mustang]

To add...  You sometimes hear people talk about a 'tight spot' in their chain.  Nah.  Chains don't contract and shorten as they wear.  What happened was that the chain was adjusted in a loose (worn) area, so that when the sprockets turned, the loose spot was taken up and the chain and sprockets tried to bind up when the unworn area of chain came around on the sprockets.  

When adjusting a chain, the tension should be checked while the wheel is slowly turned by hand, and the chain adjusted to the proper tension when it is in its "tightest" spot.

If you have loose and tight spots in the chain , this is also the tip off to you that it is time to get new sprockets on order and a new chain .

[Stretch]

Yep, good warning signs.

Since we're on the subject, here's a thread on ADVrider from last spring.  Through the course of the conversation, my curiosity was piqued to the point of actually going outside with my vernier calipers to compare measurements between my old and new chains.  A large time was had by all...

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=346751

[adrian jones]

Thanks guys,

Great info as always.

So many styles  which chain brands may be better/worse.

I mean "x"-"o" gold- what chain works best for Tiger?

[Mustang]

most modern chains that will be for your tiger are x ring
and as for brand ...........at the risk of starting a preferred brand war  :shock:
they are all about the same
some cost more some cost less
bottom line is any of em will give you an easy 10 k or more  for chain life YMMV
right now 2 of the steamers have ek chains  not a bad price either about 110 bucks and they have sexy gold side plates  

I've used reginas , did's , rk 's , they all work the same . They make the back wheel spin  

[aeronca]

new back and front sprocket?

[Mustang]

especially the front sprocket .  it will be hooked and worn out way before the rear one .

[blacktiger]

With a Scottoiler fitted from new, I got 33000 miles out of my first chain. I replaced it because the sprockets were knackered. I'm still on the second chain and the bike now has 54000 mles on the ODO.

[Tigger_rider]

Hi All. I have been a state crane and hoist inspector for the last 9 years. Some brands/models of small overhead hoists use roller chain instead of link type. The standard is to measure 20 pin lengths and compare with  an unused section at the dead end that doesn't get loaded during use. I have been doing this with M/C chains for years. Measure when new and then check every 10,000 or so. This will give you an easy way to check for wear.

OLY